Huge cargo ships dock at Devon village

Cargo ships have once again started docking in an historic Devon port village. Two huge vessels have already arrived this month.

Photos show a 91 metre bulk cargo ship arriving at Newquay dock in Appledore on October 4. The boat, known as the Rix Sail, was carrying more than 3,000 metric tons of animal feed pellets for Mole Valley Feed Solutions, which will distributed to farms and manufacturing sites in Devon.

It had sailed from Klaipeda in Lithuania and arrived into Appledore via the Torridge Estuary, where it was guided into the village by Torridge District Council's Pilot, Paul Brown.

Animal feed cargo typically comes from the UK's east coast and is transported to Devon by road but the council says the resurgence of short sea passage directly from Europe could remove between 110 and 120 articulated lorry journeys from the road.

The authority says it is exploring possibilities to reopen cargo passage by sea into Torridge. A number of ships have been scheduled to arrive in Appledore in October and November, including the third vessel MV Greetje which arrived on October 18. A fourth will arrive in November.

Councillor Bob Hicks, Lead Member for Economy & Estates, said: "We are delighted to witness the return of cargo ships to the Torridge Estuary.

"The choice to ship cargo into Torridge not only reduces the carbon footprint but also contributes to environmental sustainability. We are looking forward to welcoming more ships to the ports of Torridge, as the sight of these vessels is always a spectacular and well-received attraction for onlookers."

Frank Nickel, Head of Raw Material Supply Chain, Mole Valley Feed Solutions said: "We are very pleased that we can work with Torridge District Council and Harland & Wolff at Appledore Shipyard in order to utilise existing infrastructure and equipment in the Torridge area.

"This allows us to bring our feed stuffs closer to the point of usage on farm and our manufacturing plants. The use of cargo vessels into Appledore allows us to supply North Devon in a sustainable and efficient manner. The benefits of this operation will hopefully be shared by all the stakeholders involved in our supply chain."